Pediatrician at Pondok Indah Bintaro Hospital, Dr. Caesar Pronocitro, Sp.A, M.Sc, warned of the still high risk of vitamin D deficiency in Indonesian children, which can have long-term impacts on growth, the immune system, and cognitive function.
The issue emerged at the D'Forum: The Miracle of Vitamin D, which was held to coincide with the fifth anniversary of Prove D3 from PT Kalbe Farma Tbk.
He said that vitamin D reserves in babies from birth are relatively limited.
"At birth, babies only receive 50–60 percent of their vitamin D reserves from their mothers. If the mother is vitamin D deficient, the child's intake will also be reduced," he said.
He explained that babies aged 0–6 months are the group most vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency.
"At this age, intake is still limited to exclusive breastfeeding, while the vitamin D levels in breast milk are not sufficient to meet the baby's needs," he said.
